Peter Pan: To Neverland and Back
by effulgentcolors
Summary: Henry wants to go to a play. Emma doesn't know what she's getting herself into. Written for thebluecray0n for CS Secret Santa.


Emma had known this was mistake. She had just known. But she was supposed to encourage her son when he wanted to go to a play rather than lie in front of the TV, right? And she was more than happy with how quickly Henry had taken to Killian and had started demanding they take him everywhere with them.

So, yes, she hadn't seen this coming until it was too late.

And now she was sitting in an overcrowded theatre, already 30 minutes in on their latest showing of Peter Pan: To Neverland and Back, with a grinning, bouncing kid on her right and a growling, bouncing, but in a slightly more dangerous way, pirate on her left.

"Swan," Killian's whisper was as audible as a gunshot in the small and dark theatre. "This is bloody ridiculous."

"Hush!" she replied hastily. "I told you our version was… slightly different."

"Slightly different?" he demanded incredulously. "You have butchered the whole story. I have a fluffy coat and a girl's hair! Perms are definitely bad!"

"Yeah, well, now you know how I feel when fairytale characters keep popping into my life."

OK, so, maybe, she was enjoying this a little bit. Come on now! She was sitting among a hundred kids, looking at what she believed was a pretty drunk middle-aged actor, strutting around, claiming to be Captain Hook, while the REAL Captain Hook sat beside her, muttering profanities about everything from Pan's poncy outfit to the captain's clearly plastic sword.

"I would never subject you to this kind of humiliation, Emma," came Killian's petulant reply.

Oh, that was so not fair. He could not be guilt-tripping her. She hadn't even been the one to pick the play!

"Guys," Henry whispered beside her, trying to hide his grin. "Could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to enjoy the show?"

Speaking of the devil. Emma narrowed her eyes. Sometimes your kid being a smartass wasn't such a good thing. And him being raised by the Evil Queen was never a good thing. The boy had a heart of gold but he was in no way above the usual mischievous chaos-inducing plan. Emma liked to tell herself that he had taken the former from her and the later from Regina.

"I'm gonna get you back for this one, you know?" she said, raising a challenging eyebrow (damn pirate rubbing off on her!).

Now Henry grinned openly from ear to ear.

"Looking forward to it. Though I do think I should be rewarded, rather than punished, mom. You know, for taking Killian's education in our ways to heart."

"Oh, you will be," said Emma with sparkling eyes. "I'll let you show him the Disney version."

Before Henry could answer the words 'I'm a codfish' came from the stage and the man next to Emma jumped to his feet.

"Enough of this!" yelled Killian, pointing to the actor. "Draw you sword, mate! Let's have it! The one left standing will get the right to tell those lads the story. His way!"

"Oook!" Emma stood up, grabbing his arm, and started dragging him away, calling out for Henry to follow them and making excuses to the rest of the audience along the way. "I'm terribly sorry. Peter Pan was his favourite story as a child. He gets very emotional when even the slightest detail is altered."

They made it out of the theatre with every pair of eyes trained on them and Henry following behind, trying to stifle his giggles.

"That was cool!" he exclaimed once they were standing outside.

Two incredulous faces turned towards him.

"I'm waiting for this guy right here!" declared Killian, crossing his arms and planting his feet firmly on the pavement.

Emma rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"You know what? Fine!" she said. "Stay here and wait so you can beat up a ridiculously unattractive version of yourself in front of a hundred kids. We are going to get some ice-cream. Come on, kid!"

The blonde grabbed her son's hand and made off in the opposite direction, leaving a bewildered pirate to stare after her for ten seconds before he took off too, trying to catch up.

"Swan! Now, wait a bleeding second! Does this mean you admit that I'm the attractive version?"


End file.
